Part One - Chapter One: Prince Eric ("Fathoms Below")

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Out on the open sea, a ship appeared on the horizon. A ship with a statue of a mermaid on its front mast, and fine white sails that waved to and fro in the wind.
The crew on board sang as they worked. The pilot of the ship sang first, "I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue!"
"And it's hey to the starboard! Heave, ho!" sang the rest of the crew.
"Great sailor, beware! 'Cause a big'n's a'brewin'!"
"Mysterious fathoms below! Heave, ho!"
"I'll sing you a song of the King of the Sea," sang the pilot.
"And it's hey to the starboard! Heave, ho!"
"The ruler of all in the oceans is he."
"In mysterious fathoms below! Fathoms below! Below! From whence wayward westerlies blow! Where Triton is King and his merpeople sing in mysterious fathoms below!"
A young man by the name of Prince Eric, accompanied by his animal friend, Max the sheepdog, stood on the ship, wind blowing through his pitch black hair, and Max barking eagerly.
"Isn't this perfection, Grimsby?" said Eric. "Out on the open sea, surrounded by nothing but water and adventure?"
Grimsby, a tall, well-dressed elderly man, was leaning over the side of the ship, green with seasickness. "Oh, yes," said Grimsby. "It's simply...delightful..."
Eric began to sing himself, "The salt in your skin, and the wind in your hair, and the waves as they ebb and they flow! We're miles from the shore, and guess what: I don't care!"
"As for me," said Grimsby, "I'm about to heave, ho!" He leaned over the ship again, overcome with sickness.
Suddenly, a beautiful voice could be heard by all the crew. "Ah ah ahhh, ah ah ahhh, ah ah ahhh, ah ah, ah ah ahhh..."
"What is that?" asked Eric. "Did you hear something?"
"Dear Eric, enough seafaring," said Grimsby. "This talk of 'merpeople' and 'King of the Sea' is nothing but nonsense."
The voice was heard again, "Ah ah ahhh, ah ah ahhh, ah ah ahhh, ah ah, ah ah ahhh..."
"There it is again," said Eric. "Straight ahead!"
"Eric, you must return to shore to take up your father's crown!" said Grimsby.
"That's not the life for me, Grim!" exclaimed Eric. He turned to the pilot. "Now, follow that voice! To the ends of the earth, if we have to!"
"Aye, aye, captain!" said the pilot.
The crew began to sing again. "There's mermaids out there in the bottomless blue, and it's hey to the starboard! Heave, ho! Watch out for 'em, lad, or you'll go to your ruin. Mysterious fathoms below!"

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